SOUTH ORANGE, N.J., Feb. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nephros, Inc. (NASDAQ:NEPH), a leading water technology company providing filtration solutions to the medical and commercial markets, today announced its entry into the Puerto Rican market, targeting high-need applications such as ice machines, drinking fountains, bottle fillers, and sterile processing environments.

With a proven track record in infection control and water purity, Nephros brings a differentiated approach to water filtration, delivering advanced products with faster service and local-language support in a region long underserved by premium filtration providers.

Puerto Rico Market

With increasing focus on public health, waterborne pathogen risk, and infrastructure-driven water quality challenges, Nephros believes its infection-control filtration solutions serve an unmet need I Puerto Rico. Nephros' filtration solutions offer important safeguards to support point-of-use purification for drinking water equipment, plumbing outlets, and instrument processing across key sectors such as healthcare, foodservice, and hospitality. The company estimates that the Puerto Rican market presents a $10 million opportunity across a variety of sectors, with significant unmet needs in waterborne pathogen and contaminant control:

Healthcare – $3M
Foodservice – $3M
Hotels – $1M
Other Hospitality – $1M
Service Contracts & Replacements – $1M

"We believe Puerto Rico is a massively underserved market when it comes to reliable, high-quality filtration—particularly for environments where bacteria and harmful contaminants in water can have serious consequences," said Robert Banks, President and CEO of Nephros. "Our entry into Puerto Rico is a natural extension of our core strategy: leveraging best-in-class technology and execution to meet critical water safety needs."

Local Service, Rapid Fulfillment, Language-Specific Support

Nephros plans to differentiate itself by offering:

Rapid response and fulfillment from a dedicated inventory network
On-site installation and scheduled filter replacements
Customer support and technical documentation in Spanish
Point-of-use filtration for microbial control and regulated drinking water contaminants such as lead and PFAS

This localized approach ensures compliance, reliability, and ease of use for customers across the island. Nephros' move into Puerto Rico aligns with its broader growth strategy—expanding into adjacent markets beyond traditional patient care to support water safety within hospitality and foodservice. "We're inspired by the momentum, energized by the cultural pride, and ready to serve. This market launch underscores our belief that small, agile companies with the right technology and team can create meaningful impact even in complex, fragmented markets," added Banks.

About Nephros

Nephros is committed to improving the human relationship with water through leading, accessible technology. We provide innovative water filtration products and services, along with water-quality education, as part of an integrated approach to water safety. Nephros goods serve the needs of customers within healthcare and commercial markets, offering both proactive and emergency solutions for water management.

For more information about Nephros, please visit nephros.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include statements regarding Nephros' beliefs about the Puerto Rico market, including the size of the market and Nephros' ability to attain market share, the expected benefits of its filtration products and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements that may be accompanied by the words "intends," "may," "will," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "projects," "predicts," "estimates," "aims," "believes," "hopes," "potential" or similar words. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including Nephros' dependence on third-party manufacturers, distributors and researchers, changes in competitive conditions and regulatory reforms. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in Nephros' reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, which it may update in Part II, Item 1A – Risk Factors in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q that it has filed following such Form 10-K. Nephros does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.

Investor Relations Contacts:

Kirin Smith, President

PCG Advisory, Inc.

(646) 823-8656

ksmith@pcgadvisory.com

Robert Banks, CEO

Nephros, Inc.

(201) 343-5202 x110

robert.banks@nephros.com

Nephros Expands into Puerto Rico to Deliver Differentiated Water Filtration Solutions Across Medical and Commercial Sectors